


What Remains

by Mythicamagic



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Catharsis, Drama, F/M, Feels, Grief/Mourning, Implied Sexual Content, Post-Canon, Romance, Spells & Enchantments, the well remains shut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:00:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28312728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythicamagic/pseuds/Mythicamagic
Summary: The Higurashi family discovers the skeleton of a demon in their courtyard. (For the SessKag Prompt Raffle)
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 42
Kudos: 259
Collections: Sesskag Prompt Raffle





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: made for the SessKag Prompt Raffle, with Walter205's prompt "Destroyed."
> 
> Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

Resting both hands on her hips, Kagome regarded the dust-laden thing resting on the floor thoughtfully. It wasn't in the best shape. Grandpa must've either left it alone for years or picked it up last month off the flea market. Either way, it was unloved, discarded and sorely in need of some TLC. The question remained of what exactly to do with it, though. Souta paused within the threshold of the dimly lit storage shed, lingering.

"What's that?" he asked, arms full with a cardboard box.

Kagome hummed, crouching. "One of those old Butsudan things, I think."

"A shrine?" grunting, he set the box down and knelt beside her, fiddling with the wooden doors curiously. "Trust Grandpa to hoard something valuable like this along with his other junk-"

"Hey," she shot him a warning look.

"Oh come on, Kagome- you feel the same way. Now that it's fallen to us to clear it all out, makes you realise how much he kept. There's still a hell of a lot in the attic!"

Batting his clumsy hands aside, she gently pried the doors open. Tiny figures and intricate details lay inside, hinting at its former splendour. The paint had faded, a chipped and rusted bell hiding within. Old candlesticks had melted, caking the platforms in old wax, with incense burners left uncleaned. Even the painted scroll of the Buddha had degraded into a grimy state.

"Maybe I just didn't appreciate it as much as I should have," she mumbled nostalgically, stroking the faded gold design of a platform. "I think… I wanna do something with this, as a goodbye to Grandpa. He'd like that."

Souta rose a brow and stood, looking lanky and teenage these days. Kagome still found it weird. "You thinking about the Feudal Era or something?"

"No!" Blue eyes flashed. "This is a Grandpa thing. Don't bring that stuff up."

"Okay, okay. Geeze," chuckling, he picked up the forgotten box, pausing. "How are you gonna do anything with it? I don't think years worth of neglect is something a quick dusting will fix."

Shutting the small doors of the Butsudan, Kagome faced him with a shimmering fire within her eyes that Souta hadn't glimpsed in years. Interest and burgeoning determination. "I can restore it. Just watch me."

* * *

It was no easy job. Kagome heartily attested to that after watching various videos on restoring historical items. She should really have handed it over to a professional or conservation centre, they would've treated it with far more dignity and the care it deserved.

However, she'd helped Grandpa restore a few things in the past that had required a delicate hand and fine details, so she stubbornly refused to be deterred. Something about the neglected shrine called to her in an incredibly personal way. It felt wrong just thinking about handing it over to someone else.

After trying her hand at restoring some other, less fine items in Grandpa's old storage/work shed for practice and getting the hand of using adhesives, she began her massive task of glamourizing the dusty old Butsudan.

Sitting within the shed, bathed in lamplight and ignoring Buyo's continuous rubbing back and forth against her calf- Kagome bent over a workbench. It took several hours of cleaning- sometimes with a toothbrush- just to remove its fine layer of dust and grime. She took care not to damage the finite details that time hadn't degraded, but it proved difficult to reach within little nooks and crannies. Her brow remained furrowed, absorbed in deep concentration.

This was what she needed. Since the Bone Eater's Well had stopped working, the former time traveller pursued anything and everything that could keep her mind occupied- but she remained careful and extra vigilant throughout, conscious of how much pressure she was using.

After finishing the cleanup, Kagome sat back and stretched, grunting at the stiffness of her joints.

"Ow- how did Grandpa do this stuff so often?" sighing and removing some yellow gloves (now tinged black), she massaged her aching muscles. It was 6 o'clock, according to her watch.

_I've been here for so long._

At that moment, an incredibly loud scream sounded out from the courtyard.

Stiffening, Kagome reacted on instinct, not wasting any time in dashing from the work shed. Hurrying forwards, she noticed a figure, heart stuttering. Heading straight for Mama's frozen form, she noticed a bagful of shopping laying overturned by her feet- dropped and ignored.

"Mama, what's wrong?- AHHH!" Kagome lurched back, eyes flying wide.

She'd crossed through the courtyard earlier to reach their work shed, so she knew… Kagome knew without a doubt that the bones currently jutting out of the ground hadn't been there earlier.

As her mother clutched her tight- they stood frozen while Souta wandered out from the house.

"Hey what's all the- AHHH!"

Kagome grunted as Souta collided with her front, gripping them both tight.

"W-why is there a skeleton in our courtyard?" he asked thinly, trembling.

Kagome recovered quickest, grimly used to the sight of dead bodies. Unfortunate villagers had become victims of youkai attacks so often she'd gotten accustomed to it, though her stomach always turned. Hell, she'd helped bury Sango's people.

Prying their frozen fingers off her, she stepped closer to inspect it carefully.

The body lay on its back, fairly tall. Perhaps an adult male due to the size and density of the bones. They had no skin, no defining features. Their ribcage had been blown open, creating a deep cavity in their chest that made yellowed bones open out like a blooming flower.

 _Perhaps a cannonball did that?_ she mused.

The decimated body oddly seemed like it had belonged there for centuries, laying just outside the well house. Earth encrusted onto its joints, bones peering out like they'd been newly unearthed after being buried.

"You didn't… dig this up, did you, Mama?"

Mrs Higurashi rapidly shook her head, "I was just wandering back from the shops when I saw it."

"Maybe Buyo dug it up?" Souta helpfully suggested.

Kagome snorted. "That's dumb."

" _You're_ dumb!"

"Alright you two," gently putting her hands on their backs, Mama looked around. "Luckily no one is visiting the shrine right now. I can close it to the public long enough for us to figure out what to do about this."

Souta rose a dark brow, gesturing wildly to the skeleton, "there's nothing to figure out, is there? We just call the police and let them take it away."

"No… Mama's right," Kagome muttered, following the woman's line of sight towards the well house. "This is weird. And weirdness usually involves the Bone Eaters Well. Who knows, maybe they're the remains of a demon? If that's the case, we can't just hand these over."

At a loss, they fell quiet. None were sure what to do about the unprecedented situation.

"... We can't uh… move it, can we?"

Kagome glanced at her younger brother, a twinge of sympathy crossing her face. "That might be the only thing we can do."

Throwing the old bones down the well crossed her mind, though it made her feel rotten. The magic had dried up, so the bones would likely sit there.

"Ah! We have a tarp from when we went camping one year!" clapping her hands, Mama smiled. "Let's cover it over with that for now. Afterwards, maybe we should consider cremation?"

They all agreed to her plan, fetching a blue waterproof sheet out from their dusty attic. Kagome stooped over the skeleton, covering it while her family secured the tarp, hiding such a monstrous sight from potential prying eyes. Since nightfall had descended swiftly upon them, the Higurashi's gradually headed for bed. They'd deal with everything tomorrow.

Kagome lay in her childhood bedroom pensively, squeezing blue eyes shut and tossing a blanket over her head.

No good.

Groaning, she shoved the soft covers down, frowning at Buyo currently sprawled over her stomach. "You're heavy. It's no wonder I can't sleep."

The calico cat purred, squidging both legs beneath herself to lie like a loaf of bread.

Sighing, Kagome threw her head back into the pillow with a soft 'thud.' After several attempts at sleeping, she finally disturbed her cat by sitting up. Grabbing a dressing gown and fluffy slippers, she poured herself a cup of tea and made for the work shed.

* * *

A loud, drawling yawn disturbed the quiet hush within the small space. Souta wandered in, scratching his stomach. "Thought I saw the light on. What're you doing, it's early."

"Couldn't sleep," Kagome hummed, sitting back from her work and petting the tiny reattached doors of the Butsudan. She'd hand-painted them. Loose components were newly secured using adhesives, stabilising some tiny roof tiles- a few of which had been replaced. Souta glanced at the sizable amount of sawdust on the ground. "Wait, you didn't sleep at all?! Come on, Kagome- it's definitely time for a break! Come and eat something at least."

Sighing, Kagome conceded and put the paints away, rubbing bleary eyes.

Walking out into the courtyard and wincing at the bright, morning sunlight, they noticed a small commotion nearby. Crows cawed loudly, six of them hopping around the tarp and pecking at it.

"Leave that alone!" Kagome called, hurrying over and shooing them away. The crows squawked in outrage but flew off, leaving scattered feathers.

Souta frowned as he approached, putting a hand to his nose. "Urgh, what's that smell?"

Kagome winced, breathing through her mouth. It smelled like meat that had been baked under the sun too long. Blue eyes widened- sliding from the watchful crows that lingered atop their roof- to the still tarp.

"What are you doing?"

Ignoring her brother, Kagome leaned down and curled her hand around the edge of the tarp. She swallowed thickly. "I've smelled that scent before. It comes from…" she trailed off, fingers shaking a little as she lifted the tarp. A waft of strong, degrading meat immediately fanned out from beneath it.

Kagome steeled herself and peered under- only to immediately slam the cover down after the faintest glimpse. Pressing a hand to her mouth, she gagged and heaved, coughing up the remains of her tea.

Souta gaped and was immediately at her side, lifting dark hair away from her pale face. "Kagome, tell me what's wrong! Did you see something? I-I know the skeleton is scary, but you seemed to handle it better yesterday. Has something changed?"

As she fought to recover, he glanced at the tarp and inched an inquisitive hand towards it.

"Don't look!" Kagome snatched his hand back, gentling at the confusion on his face. "I think… I think we definitely have a demon on our hands," wetting her lips, she exhaled shakily. "They're slowly coming back to life. Let's just say their body has more flesh on its bones… and a few regrown organs from what I could see."

Souta's skin turned sickly pale, becoming ashen. "Uh, and I'm guessing there's no way to tell if they're a friendly demon either." Brown eyes suddenly widened, and he spoke without thinking. "W-what if its Inuyasha?!"

Pain immediately thrummed through her chest, and Kagome flinched, hands curling into her gown. Shivering from the morning air, something in her expression must have registered with her brother. "Oh- hey, I'm sorry. I just thought… if they look kind of human and they're near the well, then maybe he could be… coming back to life?"

"I doubt that," standing shakily, she sucked in a breath. Kagome spoke the words she'd accepted five years ago when the Feudal era had become a snatched- distant dream, lost to her. "As a half-demon, Inuyasha would only live about 200 years or so more. At least, that's what he told me. I never heard anything about a hanyou being able to regenerate after death. Especially not after 500 years."

Unbidden, Naraku and his narrow escapes from death's clutches, even with his head severed in two, came to mind. Was it possible?

Kagome shook herself. Souta stood and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, steering them towards the house. "Yeah, you're probably right," he mumbled. "Would've been cool to see him though. I know he's your boyfriend, but he was like a big brother to me-"

"He's not my boyfriend," Kagome snorted, delivering a jab to the ribs with her elbow.

He wheezed and laughed, rubbing the spot tenderly as they walked inside and took off their shoes. "Okay, he _'was'_ your boyfriend."

Kagome paused, nostalgia touching her features, "only for a little while," she said softly. "We actually… weren't a thing during my last few months in the past."

"Wait, really?" putting on some house slippers, he gaped. "You never mentioned this before- was there someone else? Ah- hey what's with that blush? Get back here, Kagome, don't run off after dropping that bombshell!"

* * *

They waited several hours before checking again. From Kagome's dry heaving, they surmised there'd been no change.

Nor was there any the following day.

Returning from her job at the museum as a tour guide and checking the body once more, Kagome sighed.

"This isn't good, we need to open the shrine back up at some point. Besides, I feel weird just casually having a dead body lying outside. Gives me the creeps," Souta said at dinner. "If the police come by and notice it, this is gonna look really weird."

Kagome bit her lip, pausing mid-meal with furrowed brows. "Doesn't make sense. There was such a leap in recovery. Now nothing! I didn't sense any demonic aura giving it a healing boost while working on the Butsudan that night either. I wonder what could be the cause of its recovery stopping and starting."

Mama Higurashi looked up from her shisami. "You were working on the Butsudan at night, Kagome?"

"Yeah, I got the urge to keep going when I couldn't sleep," she said, realisation slowly dawning. "I haven't since then. You don't think…"

All three stared at each other, silently clicking. Kagome hurriedly scoffed her food and stood, closely followed by Souta. They returned to the unassuming Butsudan and immediately got back to work. Mama trailed in after them once coffee was brewed, predicting it would be a long night.

* * *

The prediction proved correct. The siblings continued undaunted, Souta taking care of sanding down new pieces of woodwork while Kagome secured any last loose fixtures, replacing the broken bell and painting the outside of the structure. Mama kept them replenished throughout, smiling slightly to herself. She hoped Grandpa was watching. The sight of his grandkids working so hard on a historical artefact would've surely pleased him.

After a few hours, Butsudan lay near finished. Kagome just needed to take care of the more finite details inside and replace its candles and incense.

The Higurashi family tiredly approached the tarp with trepidation, wondering if their long night had paid off. Souta glanced at Kagome, who nodded and knelt, taking a steadying breath. Lifting the plastic cover to peer in, her face visibly changed. Relief swamped her, shoulders relaxing.

"It worked. You were right, Mom."

Mrs Higurashi smiled warmly, gesturing towards the head. "Shall we take a look at their face? Have they been restored enough?"

"I think so. I'm seeing a lot of bare skin. It's brittle and kind of fragile-looking," Kagome hummed. Shifting to grasp the end of the tarp at the body's head, she pulled it down.

Souta and Mrs Higurashi blinked and inspected them. A man. No one they recognised. Their attention slid to Kagome instead, who had fallen deathly silent and still. "Can't say I know him," Souta muttered, "what about you, Kagome?"

She stared, raising a trembling hand. Lightly touching long, thin silver hair- Kagome became aware of hard drumming inside her ears. Her dazed touch moved to a formally stern brow- now relaxed with death, brushing a thumb gingerly over it. Lithe fingers dragged over brittle skin, mapping the plains of high cheekbones, a firm jaw, and faded magenta stripes- hovering over chapped lips.

"Yes," she breathed, tears obscuring her vision of the mighty, fallen demon lord as an ache thrummed cruel and twisting through her body. An accompanying bitter crunch slammed into her stomach, choking her breath and eliciting a stifled sob.

"Yes, I know him."

* * *

Since his bare body appeared solid enough to be moved- Kagome and Souta dressed him in a yukata and with Mama's help, all three of them carried him inside. After placing him on their sofa, they also brought their Butsudan into the living room.

And then Kagome sat, lingering near Sesshoumaru's lifeless body as she began working again. Souta tried to convince her to rest, but she declined and told him to sleep. She'd catch a nap later. Mama faithfully brewed more coffee and cooked dinner, ensuring her daughter at least ate.

Every time Kagome finished painting a segment, she'd glance over and spy something different about his appearance. With each glide of the brush- brightening the small shrine- Sesshoumaru's thin hair would grow thicker and silkier. The magenta stripes steadily grew darker and more vibrant. Chapped, wrinkled skin smoothed over into youthful, unblemished flesh.

After completing another part, the situation hit home.

Sesshoumaru was there. Flesh and blood, suddenly and inexplicably back in her life. Kagome bit her trembling lip and exhaled shakily. Turning to him, she touched the cold skin of his motionless hand, squeezing it.

"You better wake up after all the trouble I've gone to," she gave a wane smile. Her shoulders dropped, and Kagome swallowed thickly. "... There are so many things I need to say to you. Ask you. Please don't just come back only for me to have to bury you. I'm so tired of saying goodbye to people. Really, really tired."

Sesshoumaru didn't stir, but she imagined he'd arch a brow at her remarks.

Stifling another yawn, Kagome's heavy lids tried to creep shut once more. Catching herself, the miko slapped her cheeks and continued on diligently.

* * *

Upon finally replacing both candles inside after the paint had dried, she placed an incense stick into its holder and leaned back tiredly.

_Finished._

Checking Sesshoumaru's unresponsive body, Kagome sighed. He lay peaceful, perfect. Like he were merely sleeping. Moonlight kissed his bangs, blessing it with a gentle shine. Crawling out of the desk chair wobbly, energy having been sapped dry, Kagome closed her eyes groggily. All she could do now was wait and hope. In the quiet of Higurashi shrine's living room, she rested a cheek down upon the edge of their sofa, tucking both knees beneath her and falling asleep instantly.

Her dreams were filled with vague images- glimpses of smiles, sharp teeth and deep baritones murmuring into her ear. Soft furs glided across prickling flesh, and the steady, secure assurance of golden eyes cutting deep into her marrow haunted her long into the early hours of dawn.

* * *

He hadn't awoken by the time she stirred, and disappointment flooded in fast and fierce. Mama had taken the liberty of calling Kagome's work to give her a day off. Souta treated her to breakfast until all three found themselves pondering the still body on their sofa.

"Maybe he has to be awoken with a kiss?"

Kagome blushed and snorted, elbowing Souta. "Go ahead then, thanks for volunteering," she teased.

"I meant you-" he grunted, pushing her back. "Like in those fairytales and stuff."

"Are you trying to imply that Sesshoumaru is my true love?"

Souta reddened, "no! That would be weird. Just forget it."

Mrs Higurashi rested a hand upon her daughter's shoulder, sensing the fatigue lingering just beneath the surface. "Are you alright, Kagome?"

Trying to keep her expression composed, the miko gazed down at the unresponsive demon lord. "I'm just trying not to freak out. What if he never wakes up?"

"I'm sure he will, honey. You've done everything you could."

Tired lines beneath her eyes only seemed to deepen. "Have I?" Kagome glanced over at the Butsudan sitting restored on their table. The paint job looked uneven to her critical eye, some pieces not aligning correctly- the woodwork imperfect. Her own ego and strange possessiveness over the thing hadn't permitted a professional to touch it, but what if she'd inadvertently doomed Sesshoumaru to an eternal rest because of it?

Guilt caused her to gnaw at her plump bottom lip, hands curling into fists.

_This is my fault. Now I'll never know what happened to my friends. He won't wake up._

Kagome felt her cheeks warm as tears crept into the corners of her eyes. When she'd first envisioned the completed Butsudan, she'd been so happy. So pleased to be honouring Grandpa's memory. Would he be proud of her despite its flaws? She'd wanted to place it in a cosy corner of the house and pray to it, to place a photo there and light its incense, leave an offering or two.

Blue eyes widened.

Grabbing the Butsudan, Kagome suddenly barked orders to help her move it. Souta and her mother confusedly helped, heaving it to the corner of the room where Grandpa's old armchair sat. Quickly grabbing a photo from the wall- Kagome dashed over and set it down within the shrine, lighting the incense last after leaving an offering of food. Grandpa's smiling face seemed to glow brighter as smoke coiled around it.

A wheezing cough caused all three members of the Higurashi household to freeze.

Kagome slowly turned, back ramrod straight.

Wide eyes greedily drank in the sight of movement. Blessed, amazing, welcome movement.

Sesshoumaru coughed again, body quivering. Clawed fingers stiffly flexed, knees shifting. He suddenly bolted upright and made a terrible gasping noise. Dry, hacking coughing sounded out. Kagome was immediately by his side, trying to soothe him. She held back his long fall of hair as Mrs Higurashi helpfully supplied a bucket for him to heave into.

Sesshoumaru eventually quieted and lifted his head, red eyes glaring at the new humans. Blood caked his lower lip- which he absentmindedly licked away.

"What-" he rasped.

Kagome appeared in his line of vision, sitting beside him and handing over a glass of water. When it slipped slightly, she patiently curled his stiff fingers around it- guiding it to his lips. Sesshoumaru stared at her in stunned bewilderment, drinking. Souta and Mrs Higurashi watched with cautious amazement, their own additions to Kagome's hard work having paid off.

After soothing his parched throat, Sesshoumaru collected himself and tried again, staring at her. "Miko…"

Immediately a punch to the gut of torrid emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Kagome blinked rapidly and gave an answering, wobbly smile. No one had called her that in years.

"Hi," she murmured, eyes stinging. "Welcome back."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'm going to be taking a break from writing sesskag fics for at least a month. I've just been feeling burned out, and the spinoff aint helping. So I'm going to list this fic as complete for now but possibly come back to it.

Crimson eyes faded, receding into burning gold. He shifted his legs, breathing escalating when they didn't move as desired. Kagome put a hand on his arm and set the empty glass aside.

"Easy. You're probably feeling woozy or-"

Sesshoumaru grabbed her wrist in a tight grip, panting. "Where is the item?" he said thinly, glancing around before locating the Butsudan in the corner. Relief immediately swamped his face.

Kagome followed his shaky line of sight, deciding to inquire about it later. She patted his hand. "I don't know what happened, but you're in my time now," she patiently explained. "This is my house, and uh… this is my mother and brother."

Mrs Higurashi smiled and nodded in greeting. Souta gave an awkward wave.

Sesshoumaru spared them a courtesy glance, soon dragging frayed attention back to Kagome. Seeming to notice his tight grip- long clawed fingers stiffly peeled back. Taking a breath, he collected himself slowly. His audience remained patient as Sesshoumaru turned to them. "I assume the item was damaged. How did it come to be restored?"

Kagome blinked and blushed slightly. "I just gave the Butsudan a bit of sprucing up."

"Sprucing up?" Souta interjected. "Kagome, you spent sleepless nights restoring it-" a hand covered his mouth.

"Would you like some food, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Mrs Higurashi asked graciously, ever the hospitable host.

"I do not eat human food."

"O-Oh? What do you eat?"

Golden eyes slid away. "Prey," thin lips twitched. "Bloodied. _Alive_ -"

"He means he prefers raw meat," Kagome quickly interjected, laughing it off nervously. "Maybe he'd like some steak- extra rare!" she shot the demon a look, which he languidly ignored.

"I'll see what I can do," with a serene smile, Mrs Higurashi steered her grumbling son away, leaving the two old allies alone to allow for some privacy. The atmosphere abruptly changed the second they were left in each other's company. It didn't feel real. Kagome still couldn't quite believe that he was there, living, _breathing._

Giving Sesshoumaru's hand another pat that soon developed into a slow drag of her thumb over pale knuckles, Kagome's voice gentled, uttering an understatement. "It's good to see you again."

He inhaled and shifted- drawing his arm back- and Kagome's fingers froze, thinking she'd offended him. Clinging to a familiar face so unabashedly was probably inappropriate, and embarrassment swiftly swelled like a bee-sting.

Long claws appeared in her line of sight, brushing back curling hair from her face. Firm fingers then gripped her chin, harrowed golden eyes studying, assessing. "Hn, you appear slightly changed."

"I guess it _has_ been five years since we last saw each other," she smiled weakly, heart betraying her. It fluttered in answer to his touch.

Snowy lashes lowered, "...not for this one."

Tilting her head, Kagome's brows drew together. "How long has it been for you? Decades?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly, gesturing 'higher' with elegant fingers. Blue eyes rounded with shock, "Centuries?" she breathed.

"Hn."

She supposed it made sense he would live so long before his untimely demise. Glancing at the Butsudan curiously, she remembered his remains. The look of his ribcage. Why did he seem so concerned with the Butsudan? She burned with questions but didn't want to overload him with too much too soon.

He noticed the subject of her attention and released her chin. "... I did not anticipate waking after such a long time."

Kagome adjusted a sofa pillow to lie behind his head and encouraged him to lie back, sensing this would become a deep conversation he'd need to settle in for. "What happened, if you don't mind my asking?"

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched, and then he rolled it slightly. The action made the tendons in his neck ripple. Kagome's cheeks warmed- inwardly chastising herself for noticing.

"I was... buried beneath the earth," the words came slowly, softly. A rare, vulnerable tone that did not suit a warlord.

Blue eyes cracked a fraction wider. "You remember that?"

"Hn, this one should, as it was I who buried myself."

"Okay- what?" Kagome gaped. "Why the heck would you do that? You must've been pretty desperate to escape something to hide underground," she joked.

When he remained grim-faced and moodily silent, Kagome understood. The situation had been dire enough for a demon lord to lower himself and hide; to shed the last vestiges of his pride in order to survive.

Trying to gently prompt an answer, she began talking about what information she'd gleaned so far. "You're connected to that Butsudan somehow, aren't you?" at his slight nod, she continued. "I remember a hair demon being connected to a red comb before. Once it was destroyed, she died."

Sesshoumaru's lips peeled back in a silent sneer, letting out a sigh as he pressed his head into the pillow. "Such a fate will now befall this one should anything happen to the item."

Sidestepping that terrifying concept, Kagome hummed. "You keep calling it that- do you even know what a Butsudan _is?_ "

This managed to break his hateful expression, melding into one of confusion. "From what I gleaned, it is a sacred structure that humans value and pray to. Hence why I attached my spirit to one without the original owner's knowledge. Better that, to bank on survival, than some trivial comb."

Kagome's mouth formed an 'o' shape, leaning closer. "You... willingly attached yourself to it?" this, combined with Sesshoumaru admitting to burying himself alive, only doubled her concern. "Who was your enemy? Did they chase you or something?"

He seemed to lean heavier into the pillows than before, attention sliding away to gaze out of the window. "Demons were dying out- Samurai swiftly following. The Era you knew changed. No longer did my kind roam freely. Low-level demons had been exterminated. What few remained, intelligent, powerful beings- had to either adapt their appearance to match with the humans, whose numbers had increased- or choose to die."

Tears inexplicably pricked her eyes, and Kagome felt sorrow wrap around her shoulders like a shawl of cashmere.

"What did you choose?" she whispered.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "I desired to live as myself," was his simple answer. "We realised too late that it was a systematic execution," he uttered tensely. "Wealthy, influential humans desired to wipe us out. They began putting us in stories- erasing us from history. Even when we blended into their society, it was not enough. They sought us out."

His face seemed more ashen than before, lying so still and sombre. Kagome had never seen him act in such a way before. It was sobering. And frightening. "A war with humans destroyed my home and heritage. It was the last great war. I lingered on far longer than they might've expected, keeping to the forests out of sight. I witnessed the change happening around me."

Her heart twisted, "you were alone?"

"Hn."

She couldn't imagine how isolated and lonely he must've felt. Despite appearing stoic and standoffish, she knew him to be a quietly social man with those he deemed part of his circle. Dogs were pack animals at heart. Inuyoukai were no different in that regard.

"And one day, you were discovered?"

"By an old Samurai, no less. Looking back, perhaps the old fool wished to relive the glory days. I doubt he and his men had clearance to be harbouring the weapons they'd clung to," Sesshoumaru cracked open dim, brassy eyes, looking at her tiredly. "We fought. They died. This one was grievously injured, and more from their group gave chase. It was pure instinct that made me attach the majority of my spirit to the 'Butsudan' within a human shrine."

Kagome wet her lips, throat dry. "We discovered you near the Bone Eater's Well," she mumbled.

His gaze slid over her face, worn, honest. "...Using the last vestiges of my power, this one dug his own temporary grave. I intended to rise not long after, once healed."

Kagome nodded, finally somewhat understanding. "The Butsudan must've been damaged, preventing you from healing. So instead I guess you...wasted away?" the idea sounded horrifying. "Were you conscious of it?"

"No," Sesshoumaru said tonelessly. Kagome couldn't be certain if he was lying or not.

A heavy silence washed over them. The weight of everything he implied felt like too much to properly process all at once. No wonder she'd hardly seen any demons in her era. Despite wanting to know about Inuyasha and her friends, Kagome put such questions aside for now. It would be selfish to ask too much.

When food was served and Sesshoumaru eased himself up to walk, Kagome guided him by the arm, supporting his body. If the steak displeased him, the demon lord made no comment about it. He quietly thanked Mrs Higurashi for the meal.

After getting the hang of walking on his own again, Sesshoumaru took to drifting around. He snooped around the first floor of their house, seeming vaguely curious about the leap in technology- before ultimately ignoring it and making his way outside.

From the window, Kagome watched with a pit in her stomach as he gazed at Goshinboku. When he looked out at Tokyo for an achingly long time, she understood. The cruelty of rapid change could be devastating. She felt the need to join him.

"It's not all like this," she quickly assured him, drawing up against his side without touching. "Tokyo is just one city. There are lots of countrysides left. They're flourishing and beautiful. Some of them don't have a huge population-"

"You will take me to them."

"Y-yeah...one day."

"Tomorrow."

"What?! No, I have a job to get back to, Sesshoumaru," she shook her head. "I can't go traipsing around the country with my backpack like I used to."

"Why not?"

"B-because I have responsibilities now. Scratch that- I _already_ had responsibilities back when I was 15! But I set them aside for the feudal era to make up for shattering the shikon jewel. I can't...do that again."

Sesshoumaru gazed her, mulling this over. It struck her as somewhat sad that he should immediately desire to leave a well-populated area and retreat to what he knew best.

Kagome gave a sigh. "I'll take you the second I get a day off, alright?"

He seemed to understand that he could not simply fly himself away from the city, lest he be seen. Eventually, he agreed, nose wrinkling all the while at the present era's fumes.

* * *

When it came to sleeping arrangements, Mrs Higurashi made up Grandpa's bed again for Sesshoumaru. However, he declined with faint distaste, not explaining why. Noting his mood and figuring the whole situation had put him on edge, Kagome awkwardly put out a futon next to her bed.

"Just for the night," she promised her mom. Mrs Higurashi glanced at the handsome demon lord somewhat sceptically. He looked a little too large and imposing within her daughter's childhood bedroom.

"If you're sure," she said slowly. "Like a sleepover, right? Nothing else?"

Kagome blushed, putting both hands on her hips. "There won't be any funny business, mom! What do you take me for? He just woke up from hundreds of years of being dead!"

"I never said a word."

"You were _thinking_ it!"

Sesshoumaru ignored them, stretching out languidly atop the futon with a dusty noise. The front of his yukata gaped open, revealing pale skin and firm muscle.

Mama shot Kagome a knowing look the second she averted her gaze. Growling, Kagome firmly bid her mother goodnight.

* * *

Silence reigned supreme within her humble pink bedroom an hour or so later, moonlight peaking in through a gap in the curtains. Kagome shifted beneath comfy covers, highly conscious of every move she made. After working so hard on the Butsudan with questions burning on her tongue, she now grappled with what to say. She could _feel_ him. Sesshoumaru's presence felt like sprawling beside an open fire, the very air tinged with humidity. Even his smell saturated the air, fresher now that he'd had a shower. His natural scent oozed masculinity and power, but also nature. The smell of spice and sandalwood.

Along with his heavy, dominating aura, something else lingered close like panting breath on her neck. A terrible heaviness. It clung to the air unbearably loud.

Unable to stomach it any longer, Kagome rolled over to glance down at him, stilling.

Sesshoumaru lay upon the futon, silver threads of hair glinting in the light. He'd raised a hand- and now seemed frozen, inspecting it quietly. His piercing, whiskey gaze passed through pale skin and deft fingers, as if looking at the inner muscles and bone that made up his hand.

Kagome opened her mouth, then slowly closed it. Sadness swelled within her chest. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. What it felt like to be resurrected after so long.

"This one has thought it for some time," a hushed, regal voice slipped out into the room.

She matched her volume with his. "Thought what?"

"For what purpose do I exist now?"

Kagome's expression morphed into something complicated, pushing the covers back and hooking long legs over the side of her bed. In an instant, she knelt by his side, capturing his frozen hand and gripping it tightly. "You don't need a purpose to live. You just do it," she murmured.

"There are no more battles to fight," Sesshoumaru reminded her somewhat jadedly. "This one was born to fight wars. It is in my very name."

"I don't believe that's true and deep down neither do you!" Kagome whispered fiercely, palms squeezing his long, dexterous fingers. The warm, calloused hands trapped within hers had taken so many lives, but she'd also witnessed them enrich others; their tenderness stroking upon Rin's head. How one of his powerful arms had been impaled while reaching, straining to save Kohaku.

Haunted golden eyes glowed within the darkness, offering another reason he perhaps should not exist. "There are no more demons left."

"If you could be resurrected by restoring a historical item- maybe there're more demons out there just like you," Kagome fought to keep her voice even. If he were human, his hand would be no doubt bruised under her painfully tight grip. Sesshoumaru didn't so much as flinch, his expression frighteningly apathetic while discussing his own place in the world. It scared her more than anything. "W-we could find them together if you wanted-" her tone bordered on pleading now.

Sesshoumaru's tired voice came again, threatening to break her. "I have no one left to protect."

The underlying thing left unsaid felt harrowing. Kagome's shoulders sagged, lowering his hand into her lap. She gentled her grip, smoothing lithe archer fingers between the gaps of his own. That he'd come to terms with caring about his pack; that he no longer denied it, made her realise how much he'd changed since last they'd met.

"You live... for their sake, if not for your own. It's what they'd want. Honour their memory by carrying on."

A scoff was her answer. "Is that what you do, miko?"

Sesshoumaru sobered upon noticing her wan smile. She gazed at him, rib-cage blown open just as his had been to reveal her heart. She bared all for him to see.

Blue eyes stared, deep, dark and empty. He felt the same look within himself. The feeling of being cast off, alone, floundering within unknown waters. No sky above and no bottom beneath their feet.

The demon lord shifted, slowly tangling his free-hand within dark curling hair and gripping tight- tugging her down. Kagome burst into tears the second her forehead met his chest.

He wasn't alone. Time had been a cruel mistress to the both of them, time traveller and near-immortal demon alike. Sesshoumaru shifted his arms around her, remembering their secret encounters all those years ago. How they'd talked, flirted around their magnetism, argued, smiled and gazed at each other so long and keenly, wondering.

The reason he could speak so easily to her now was because they'd talked at length about many things in those secret meetings. About the future, about youkai society, about technology and progress. About Inuyasha.

The reason Sesshoumaru could hold her without effort, or hesitance, was because his body instinctively knew and recognised hers. She fit against him easily. Her scent had been wired into his subconscious.

The reason their lips met could be explained away as many things. Shared grief, mere exposure effect, familiarity, seeking comfort. Sesshoumaru's mind turned blank, basking in the feelings she awakened. The pleasant, satisfying rush of heartbeats and heated skin on skin.

Her breasts felt heavy and warm in his palms, her ribs delicate and close to the surface, and when he ran fingers down her waist just so, she would shiver delightfully and scold him with a bite at his neck.

A small noise escaped his throat, too hungry to be called a sigh, and his hand curled around the back of her neck. Kagome clung to him fiercely, making small, stifled sighs, legs wrapped around his waist.

He longed to make her scream as he had behind the waterfall. However, their quiet touching, intimate closeness and soft rolls of their hips weren't terrible either.

"Please," she whispered in his pointed ear. _"Please!"_

He couldn't be sure what she begged him for. She sounded close to tears. Perhaps she sought completion. Perhaps she was trying to will him to live. To grasp onto something- find something tangible within their tight embrace.

Sesshoumaru threw his head back and gasped into the room, fangs exposed.

Buzzing in their afterglow, Kagome lay hushed and panting. Tears pooled within deep, dark, empty eyes. Her fingernails had dug into his shoulders, breaking his skin. He welcomed the pinpricks of pain, but the look of anguish upon the miko's beautiful, pale features was not lost on him. He bent to kiss the mournful expression away.

Within the hush of the Higurashi household, Sesshoumaru quietly came to realise something.

There was one being alive left for him to protect.


End file.
